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| Runners participate in a VPBank Hanoi Marathon. This year’s edition will take place on October 18 in the capital city of Hanoi – PHOTO: COURTESY OF VPBANK |
To ensure full compliance with social distancing rules and give runners a brand new experience of running on the streets of Hanoi on a beautiful autumn night, VPHM's 42-kilometer full marathon will start at midnight on October 18, while the 21-kilometer half marathon will start at 2 a.m., the 10-kilometer category at 3 a.m. and the 5-kilometer run at 8 a.m.
The starting point will be the front of the Ba Kieu Temple, Hoan Kiem District, and VPHM will take runners through six Hanoi districts, with tracks going past heritage and architectural works associated with the history of the capital's establishment and development.
Through its online platform, the marathon will attract thousands of runners to join the Hanoi event and connect with other locations in Vietnam and around the world.
On October 18, thousands of runners from across continents and connected with the VPHM via a live broadcast will convey a vivid message of “Vietnam – a safe destination”, which will boost the country's image, especially the tourism industry now dealing with the hardships caused by the pandemic.
According to a representative of the event’s organizing board, in keeping with the “Cohesive and Responsive” spirit, the theme proposed by Vietnam for ASEAN Year 2020, the VPHM has been closely monitoring the progress of the pandemic in the ASEAN and has actively come up with many responsive scenarios, including digital activities and the online race.
Digital activities will help ensure the scale and quality of the event, while increasing the likelihood of social distancing, the key to Vietnam's miraculous success in controlling the pandemic.
Held annually since 2018, the VPBank Hanoi Marathon is recognized as a member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, with the running course standardized by AIMS experts. Runners can continue to use the results of the VPBank Hanoi Marathon this year to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon.
